Anwyn

Oh, I love the scratch off idea!! I love those stupid things...

I did my second workout in the new year today - two days in a row, that's a record for me! Kare, I love the CD! I've only made it through the first 5 songs, but my favorite song so far is Footloose. It's always been one of my favorites and it pumps up my energy level. I'll let you know my overall favorite when I get through it all. I'm going to jump around so I can hear them all. I have no patience.

Great job Alex!

No problem LSasha! Good luck with your weigh in!

Weigh-in, 1/3/06: 220 Debby, can you clarify the end date? I'm a little confused about whether the challenge ends on 3/1 or 3/31... My goal either way is to make it to Onderland by the end of the challenge. It's ambitious, but I think I can do it if I work out. My workout goal is 3-4 days a week, 45 minutes at a time. NSV for this past week: I finally worked out yesterday! I was able to do much more than I expected (40 minutes on the treadmill, 8 minutes on the elliptical). I usually just shoot for 30 minutes, but I was feeling so good I couldn't stop.

Congratulations!

Didi, it will cost significantly more if they use fluro... It's $300-$400 for a fluro fill at my hospital, versus the cost of doing it without which I think is around $100. They don't want to put the port too close to the skin because it would stick out as you lose weight. Then you'd need a second operation to adjust the port.

Hi Lianna! Here's a link to the new challenge. It's in the support section and it's called Rabbits & Turtles United... http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=12976

Hi everyone! I didn't make it onto the dreadmill yesterday, but I did spend 6 hours taking down the Christmas decorations and cleaning house so I'm going to count that as my first workout in '06. My sciatica was acting up after all that lifting, so it was after 6am when I fell asleep. My son was next to my bed at 6:15 asking for a cup of Water, so I'm pretty tired today! DH let me go back to bed for a few hours, so it could be worse. You would think that 6 hours of cleaning would get the house pretty spotless, but that was actually the preparation clean for the cleaning service, lol. I have Molly Maid come in because I'm not supposed to run the vacuum with my back issues. See - good things come out of something bad all the time! Sherri, I'm so sorry that your DH was hurt by his mother's thoughtlessness. It's so true that the child who makes the most effort often gets taken for granted. I have a similar situation going on in my family, so I can really commiserate here. Families can be so complicated. At least he can sleep easy knowing that he is a wonderful, caring son. Cindy, I couldn't tell from your post if retiring was a far-off dream or a reality. Will you be able to retire this year? What are your post-retirement plans? Jan, I didn't have much of an appetite during the full liquid stage so I'm afraid I don't have any great suggestions. I did make some really good Bear Creek Soups during that time. I also liked the Campbells Soup at Hand because they're convenient. We have rain here today in Michigan. I just caught my 2 year old out on the deck in her PJ's and no shoes. Apparently, she thinks Spring is here. Ewwww... gotta go, she's eating dirty snow. Have a great day everybody!

Congratulations! And you're in the 200's now... way to go!! :confused:

I have no regrets at all. I woke up hungry yesterday and it hit me that I haven't felt the sensation of a hunger pang in months. Truly great. I was talking to my sister-in-law about her latest diet and all I could think about was how great it felt to not have to count points or eat pre-packaged foods. Good luck with your decision - I know it's a hard one.

I'm an insomniac tonight so I did a little online shopping for you... Try zappos.com. They have all sorts of shoes available in really wide styles (Up to EEEEE I think). They are more expensive than Payless, but they did have one tennis shoe on sale for $39. Free shipping too. If it lasts longer and keeps you from tripping it will probably be worth it, lol. Oh yeah, and your feet and ankles will definitely shrink in width as the pounds come off! :confused:

My bat wings and hanging stomach are beyond shrinking back. I am already squirreling away money for the surgeries. Based on what I have read on this board I should be able to get both done for about 10K. I don't look forward to another surgery, but I don't think this journey will be complete for me without it.

Hi Anne, There are tons of Protein shakes out there (yes, Slim Fast is one). Carnation Instant Breakfast is another readily available at the grocery store. At health stores (like GNC) you can find a million different kinds. If you do a search under "Food" you will find a bunch of recipes for Protein Shakes too.

Congratulations on your band! I know how emotional this time can be... Hang in there - it gets sooo much better. Happy New Year!

Happy birthday ladies! :confused:

Happy New Year!! I didn't drink last night but I seem to have a sympathy hangover - my head is killing me. I did have two tiny sips of champagne. I gargled it for 2 minutes to get rid of the bubbles, lol. All of the holiday food is gone, so I'm going to try to start the year off right and dust off the treadmill. Pat, that car sounds beautiful! My kids would kill for tv's in the headrests. I'm cut off - there will be no shopping of any kind for me for months. I need to pay my bills today but I'm procrastinating... We really overdid it this year. Time to pay the piper (and Visa, and Mastercard...). Enjoy the holiday today! :confused:

Hi Callie, It could definitely be a stomach bug - they're going around right now. Do you have any phenerghen? It's an anti-nausea suppository. You may want to have your doctor call you in a prescription. I had a 24 hour bug last week, and it didn't get rid of the nausea completely but it did keep me from throwing up. Of course, go with your instincts. If you think it is more than the flu, call your band doc. Hope you feel better soon!

My New Year's Resolution is to exercise, exercise, exercise. I keep saying I'm going to do it, and then I don't. I always seem to have an excuse. I've been lucky with consistent weight loss so far, but I'm a full 2 sizes bigger than I used to be at this weight. I'm sure part of that is because I've had kids but it's mostly because I'm not toned. I have to stick to walking on the treadmill right now because of my back, but I have a great workout CD (compliments of Kare) and my goal is to hit the treadmill 4 days a week for 30 minutes. I want to be realistic and consistent. Good luck to you with your New Year's resolutions Nancy! Happy New Year!

Molly, thanks for posting the stages of banding! I've never seen that before. So very true... Casinocat, hang in there! And great job with the smoking. You are tackling two huge things at once and doing an amazing job.

Casinocat, I was also surprised that this thread turned so controversial. I had no idea that Protein consumption was such a hot button topic, lol. I'd like to thank you for starting this thread because anytime there are differing opinions it's a good idea to open up a dialogue for those of us already banded and those of us researching the band. I consider myself a very successful bandster, and I often have a Protein shake for Breakfast because I am too restricted in the mornings to eat solid food. They're great! They fill me up, give me a Vitamin boost, and they're easy. As far as the liquid calorie thing goes, anything that's 200 calories and fills me up for 3 or 4 hours is a great thing. We're not talking about juice or pop here... I am having great results with following what my nutritionist and surgeon recommended. They told me to concentrate on protein so that's what I'm doing. I can get the Vitamins from fruits and vegetables with a daily Multivitamin (which everybody banded or not should be taking anyways). I still try to eat at least one serving of fruit and one serving of veggies a day because you can't beat the real thing, but I like the back up of a multivitamin. For some of us, we just can't eat enough to get in everything a body needs so you have to prioritize.

Hi Lisa, Ohhhh yeah... I have super tight restriction during my period. I guess it's a good thing because I'm always more prone to eating crap during my time of the month. I'm on it this week, and today I ate a small Breakfast and was stuffed until 6 pm, lol. Mentally, it sucks, but it's great for weight loss!

Good for you Sue! Keep those updates coming.

Lisa, I'm so happy that the band removal is behind you. Feel better soon! (((((HUGS)))))